Collapsible tube coating machine



April 18, 1944. G. w. TEMPLEv CLLAPSIBLE TUBE COATING MACHINE Filed April 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 h @ear W Ymple JM Z. TTR/VEY e BY y April 18, G. w. TEMPLE` I I COLLAPSIBLE TUBE COATNG MACHINE v V 'i -Filed April 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Shee't 2 Afrox/VFY Patented Apr. 18, 1944 riss l? :rENT oFFlcE f- Y" 13 Claims.

IThis"invention relatesxto :machines for,- coating the interior surfacesicicollapsibe tubes and parwax .uponVv said .surfaces .Machines heretoforefknown for coatingthe finteriorf ,surface of-collapsible tubes are; ycornparativelycomplicated and Vexpensive being. de-

signed for automatic operation, and. functioning -.-zticularly.tofthe means for depositingalayer of for dvliyerng. liqu L. Ae abvfffindcated thsmachine generellyomp; sesam-i. Of-.adiaentsllvwis om? cated! together e with means wax or other coating ,ma

ennic the -ihtermr of.. the

to feed, coat and dry the tube, and then,-\,r emove `it -from the-machine automatically, as shown for example-in mg .copending application forpatent .coating material for Collapsible tubev spraying machinav Serial No. A405,734-, iiledJ-iugust, 1941. `In Aviewf-present:diiiiculties in obtaining the .materialand-labonnecessaryfor building such .machines, the.- lpresent invention ycontemplates -the.-provisionfof1.a=, simple and economical ma- .chine .using few parts for .coating the tub-es at comparatively high speed with the aidof an operl .atorwho ...manipulates the tubes manually to operate the'machine.

. The invention further. contemplates the provision oiea simple device for delivering liquid in4 sufficient yquantity and Y trapidity. against the; interior surface of a collapsible .tube to .coat the'tubesrapidly and e- :ciently, said device using `a yminimum number v .-.of special parts and hence being inexpensive and .little likely to get outof order.

Theinvention further .contemplates the provs-f-vision of Aa simple device; permitting the operator -.-;to useboth handstoinsert two collapsible tubes Y gin: positionin thedevice Asimultaneously and to --control the discharge of coating material against .i theinside of the. tubesby pressure on the tubes.

y. way :of example, the outer. container e suitable'st'and, andis insulated bye meansof the suitable heat in- Sulaton M-from the,.- inter r riediat`e ,container t2 forming @heavier wall @i the Watelombartflent t3 The innermost waxU container i4 forms the Q .inner 1wall oft the iwater?. compartment'. and is Thevarious objects of the invention will be clear from the description whichiollovvs` and .from the drawings, in which,

Fig.- 1.is a combined front lview and partial -vertical section takenon the line 3-7-3 of Fig. 2

1: of the :coating mechanism showing in dotted lines a position .assumed by the pumping and wax de- 'liveringmechanismvduring the swinging `movement of said mechanism into or out of thetank of wax.

Figg2 isa .top planviewof the coating mechal. jzznism.

' 1.-.. Fig. 3 isza horizontal section `o i" the wax control sexewalve taken on Athe line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

Fig..4,isian;enlarged front view and partial and valve controlling the delivery of wax.

Fig. 51s a horizontal section of the wax delivery member and tube support taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

adapted tdfhold 4'and y,to .cQnductheat to; the liquid wax 15...; Waten is supplied tothe water 4..jacketby, anysuitablemeans 4suchV as the .funnel 1it and the pipe i gFig. 2)..whieh passes through thegcontainersx lil and l2 and communicateswith thawater compartment L3. Inworder to heat the v water to t`r1eproper temperatura an. electric heater .t8 oigany` suitable vtyp'eis arranged in the water compartment I3 and is isupplied with curcurrent;Y source, .s uitable. controls '.oif any I well known type mit Shown, beingl usediff desired to maintain the 4.temperature constant. It will therefore be seen that the waterein tliecomp'artment Kimay belieatedto the desired temperal35 ture. to.mainta in the Wax in,v av. molten condition during the-operation of the. machine.

yMeans are provided for. deliveringwax to` the interior .o f the work, which isa collapsibleftube Open .at itswlarger end, in lsuiiici-ent .quantities 40 completely to `coatthe entireinner ysurfacelft'hereof. -As sho-Wn, saidmeans comprises the Apump 2|] vof anygsuitable type from which is suspended the lin1;al:e pipe Si whichV ,extends -downwardly into the tank I and to .apoint quitenea'r the .bottom .thereofl and is connected-to the intake side of the pumpV Qn thedischarge sideof the puma-.is .suspended the pipe-.2 .l1 cennecied'to the spaced branches 22, and 23 leading to thelcoms bined valve. and tubesupports 2 4 and 2 5 re- 50. vertical section 1.0i the combined tube support-q` Spectivelyf-.Whch supports will be.de$eribd in `:moredetail,loereinafterf;- For; Operating the pump.

members 24 and 25 when the valves are opened.

The entire wax delivering mechanism is mounted for swinging movement to permit the removal of the various pipes 3 I, 2 l, 22 and 23 together with the supports 24 and 25 as a unit from the tank when the tank is to be replenished or cleaned as shown by the dash dot lines and by the arrows of Fig. 3. For this purpose, the motor and pump mechanism is mounted on a suitable base or supporting plate 2B connected by the hinge 29 to the fixed support 3D.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 for the deVv tailed showing of the combined tube supports and valves 24 and 25, a description of one will suilice for both since both are identical in construction. The branch pipe as 22 is threaded into the lower yend of the relatively xed valve sleeve 32, in the upper end of which is slidably mounted the combined valve member and wax delivery pipe 33. iIf desired, the spring 34 may be arranged between the lower end of the member 33 and the lupper end of the pipe 22, a suitable washer as 35 `.being interposed between said pipe and the lower end of the spring. The spring aids in maintaining the movable conical valve 35 forming the ilower part of the member 33 against the corre- :spondingly shaped flxed valve seat 31 of the member 32, though the wax pressure generated by the pump may be sufficient for this purpose with- =out the aid of the spring.

The elongated passage 38 in the pipe and valve member 33 terminates at its lower end at a point above the valve. To provide communication between the sleeve 32 and the passage 38 in the member 33, a series of radial holes as 39, 40, 4l and 42 (Fig. 3) are provided in the wall of said member just above the valve. Said holes communicate with the space 43 in the sleeve 32 above the valve seat 31 and consequently in the open position of the valve communicate with the space below the valve and with the pipe 22. On depression of the valve 36 in the direction of the arrow 44, wax forced through the pipe 22 enters the space 43, then passes through the holes into the passage 38 and is discharged through the upper end of the member 33 as shown by the arrows at the upper part of Fig. 4. Said member 33 is reduced in diameter at the upper part thereof to form the delivery pipe 45 which is of sulcient length to enter the collapsible tube 46 and 'to reach a point in slightly spaced relation to the upper end of said tube when said tube rests on the support 48.

Between the pipe portion 45 and the remainder of the member 33 is provided a shoulder 4l. on which rests the hub of the conical tube support 48, which is fixed to and movable with the pipe 45. Suitable grooves as 49 are provided in the surface of the support 48, whereby excess or overflow wax delivered into the interior of the tube or discharged from the delivery pipe may return to the tank I4. The pipes 45 are arranged in the upper part of the tank and above the highest wax level for this purpose,

It will be seen that the tube 46 may be quickly mounted on the support 48 to surround the pipe 45 and that a comparatively slight pressure on the tube moves the support y48 downwardly and consequently moves the entire member 33 including the valve downwardly sufficiently to removev the valve from its seat and to permit the liquid wax to be discharged with great rapidity and in considerable quantity through the upper end of the pipe 45. The wax impinges against the upper end part of the tube and against the tube shoulder and flows downwardly along the tube surface thereby completely coating the tube interior with a layer of the required thickness depending upon the degree of liquidity of the Wax and the desired pressure built up by the pump 20. Excess wax drips through the grooves 49 back into the tank.

It will be noted that by reason of the provision of two pipes 45 mounted on the wax supply members 22 and 23 and the spacing of such pipes apart a distance convenient to the operator, the operator may readily grasp two tubes at a time from a source of supply of such tubes, insert them on the supports 48 simultaneously, and simultaneously press down on the supports to open the valves and thus to coat the inner surfaces of both tubes simultaneously. The tubes may then be removed by the operator from the pipes 45.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive but eilcient means for supplying liquid under pressure with which to coat collapsible tubes rapidly, which machine is easily operated by unskilled labor and attains adequately the purposes of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for coating the interior surface of collapsible tubes, a heated container for coating material, a pump inlet pipe, a pump carrying said pipe, a discharge pipe carried by the pump, a valve in said discharge pipe, a relatively movable delivery pipe extending from the valve and operating the valve on the movement thereof, and means for pivotally supporting the pump, the valve and said pipes for swinging movement of said pipes into and out of said container.

2. In a machine for coating the interior surface of collapsible tubes, a container for coating material open at its top, a water jacket surrounding the container, a heater in said jacket, a pair of reciprocatory upright delivery pipes each of small enough diameter respectively to enter one of a pair of collapsible tubes, a tube support on each pipe, means for deliverying coating material under pressure from the container to said pipes, said means comprising a pump, an inlet pipe suspended from the pump and entering the container, a discharge pipe carried by the pump and connected to said delivery pipes, a valve interposed between said discharge pipe and each of the delivery pipes, and means for swingably supporting the pump, the valves and said pipes for movement of said pipes and valves into and out of the container,

3. In a machine for coating the interior surface of collapsible tubes, a tube support having a conical upper surface provided with drain grooves therein, a vertically reciprocable pipe upstanding from and of lesser diameter than the support, a liquid outlet pipe slidably supporting the reciprocable pipe, a valve interposed between the pipes, means supporting the pipes for forcing liquid coating material therethrough, and a hinged support for the supporting and liquid forcing means whereby said means, the pipes, valve and tube support are swingable as aunit into and out of an operative position thereof.

GEORGE W. TEMPLE. 

